Colorado. Land of history, heritage, amazing mountain views, world-class skiing and much, much more. And, evidently, really good pork chili. Who knew? Well, lots of people – except me. Recently, I was watching a PBS cooking show that featured Colorado Green Chili and while I didn’t catch the exact recipe featured on the show, I got the basic idea. And after playing around with the main ingredients, I managed to achieve something really sublime.

Now, remember, I’m a native Texan and chili is sacred in Texas. It’s the state dish after all. (And in case you didn’t know, there’s a bit of a rivalry between Texans and Coloradans.) But major kudos to Colorado for their pork chili verde! If you are familiar with Texas chili you will know it does not (traditionally) contain beans and neither does Colorado Green Chili. Southern Colorado is green chili country and it is the roasted green chilis that make this pork chili special. I used Anaheim peppers because that was what was available in my local store. But you can use Pueblos, Poblanos, hatch chilis and others.

As you can see, the finished product chili verde is actually red in color – thanks to tomatoes and chili powder. But it’s those roasted green chilis that impart the intense chili-infused flavor and heat that permeates every molecule of the dish. The chili is a cross between what I would think of as a thick chili and a soupy stew. It’s perfect for these frigid winter days we are having right now. And your home will have the most amazing aroma while it cooks.

If you are from Colorado or familiar with Colorado Green Chili I’d especially love to hear from you in the comments. What do you think? Did I get it right? What type of green chilis do you like to use? Do Coloradans really hate Texans?

Wash and dry the peppers, coat them evenly with a layer of olive oil and place them on the pan.

Roast the peppers in the oven for 20-30 minutes until soft and the skin is somewhat blistered. Remove the pan from the oven and immediately cover it tightly with aluminum foil. Set aside for 30 minutes, or until the peppers are cool enough to handle.

Remove and discard the stems, peels and seeds. Mince the jalapeño pepper and roughly chop the Anaheims and place the peppers in a bowl along with any juices that have collected.

Reduce the heat of the oven to 275 degrees F.

Cut the pork roast into 1 inch cubes and coat evenly with the 1½ teaspoons of salt and the ½ teaspoon of pepper.

Heat a medium/large Dutch oven on medium-high heat for about 3 minutes.

Melt 1 teaspoon bacon drippings in the pan and sear the cubed, seasoned pork in the pan in batches. Remove to a separate dish.

Add a second teaspoon of bacon drippings to the pan (if needed) and saute' the diced onions on medium-high until softened - about 3 minutes.

Add the minced garlic to the pan and continue to cook for another minute.

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18 Responses to "Colorado Pork Green Chili (Chili Verde)"

Nice recipe – and you’re right, I think the tomatoes might make it more Texan. 😉 I used to live in Colorado… before moving to Wyoming. My Colorado Chili Verde recipe calls for roasting the peppers with the onion, garlic and tomatillos, thus giving the final blend a green color. In Wyoming, we used to call folks in Colorado “greenies” because of the color of the license plates. But seems like it’s fitting for green (verde) chili, too. Now I am transplanted in North Carolina where pulled pork is done with a rub. Crazy to have all these versions, right? But helps one to know where they are! 🙂 No matter what the color or the method, this time of year is sure perfect for chili.

Hi Cat,
Thanks for the feedback. I saw several recipes that included tomatillos but I couldn’t find any when I made this. I make a salsa that roasts peppers and tomatillos and they are wonderful like that. So I’d agree it would make a great addition here. I didn’t realize folks from Colorado were known as “greenies”. I’m not sure I want to know what they call interloping Texas skiers! I used to live in South Carolina and I do love Carolina pulled pork! Pigs are just all-around-delicious aren’t they?!
Best, Lea

I am learning to *love* the southern white sauce for pulled pork… but I think that started in Georgia. Maybe other folks could clue us in on other variations. Someone needs to write a book on just that! 😉

I live in CO and have never seen a red green chile, I guess theres generally less tomato in it (tomatillos instead), this recipe looks delicious though. Hatch chiles are definitely the gold standard out here, at the farmers market there is always at least one stand roasting them right there (smells so good!).

I’m a Colorado native. NO red tomatoes and chicken stock, not beef. If you must add beans, pinto or black but drain them first!. Better yet, cook Anasazi beans and add them as a garnish on top of a dollop of sour cream. Sprinkle with cheese and serve with fresh tortillas.

I am a native Coloradan and live near New Mexico. This is closer to a red chile than a green chile. You do not have any hatch or pueblo roasted green chile in the recipe. How can you think this is green chile? So, to that end, use chicken broth. Lose the chili powder (it is junk anyway. Order some good stuff from New Mexico or the guys in Pueblo). You need to add two or three cups of roasted green chile. Preferrably hatch or Pueblo HOT. You can use Anaheim or Big JIms too. I hope that helps.

Thanks for the advice, Doug. You’re right this recipe doesn’t use hatch or pueblo green chiles. It does use Anaheims as you suggested for an alternative. This is based on what was available in my local store at the time. I’d love to try it with Hatch chiles sometime.

Definitely not green enough for green chili. I’ve always used hatch green chile’s, and that’s is what is common in my area of Colorado. I’ve added some royal diced tomatoes but that’s it. Also pretty sure it was mentioned above, but chicken stock is key. Need to try this out still, if flavor is right the color can maybe be forgiven .

Also I love Texas, not hate but Texas chili and green chili are just too different to even try and compare.